Techniques exist for capturing mobile location information and providing it to a user. One such technique includes the mobile device initiating a session with a central server and reporting its current location. The reported current location of the mobile device is archived by the central server and then provided to those who are authorized, for example in accordance with a custom application, to receive updates on the whereabouts of the device.
Among example shortcomings, limitations and potential concerns (collectively “limitations”) of this conventional technique are costs and use barriers imposed by its general requirement for customized, often proprietary applications not in the general standard features set of consumer internet access devices.
Another example limitation with these conventional techniques directed to remote access to mobile device services and content is that the content that the mobile device transmits is generally raw data. In other words, the data representing the content or the information and parameters of the services is not readily receivable, and/or not readily decodable by the Internet access machine through which the user performs the remote access unless the user has special-purpose, often proprietary applications installed on his/her machine.
Further, in designing and using conventional techniques for remote access to a mobile device's services and content, trade-offs may occur between battery life of the mobile device and the usability of the access. The tradeoff can establish hard limits on the scope of uses. For example, to provide uninterrupted accessibility to the mobile device can require that the device be powered-up continuously. However, maintaining continuous power-up can quickly drain batteries. On the other hand, an access attempt can fail if the device is not powered up continuously. Therefore, the mobile device and the access to the device may embody a tradeoff between these two desired but, in conventional techniques, opposing objectives, namely battery life and reliability of access. The result can be, as an illustration, a mobile device that is more expensive and/or in a significantly larger package than desired, or even practical, or a mobile device to which a user has less than continuous access.